Former New Britain mayor under fire for Facebook post

Former New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart has an emotional moment as his daughter, Mayor elect Erin Stewart, speaks after being sworn in by him in November 2013. Stewart, has been placed on administrative leave for making a misogynist Facebook post during the the State of the Union speech. (Rick Hartford/Hartford Courant/TNS)

Former New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart has an emotional moment as his daughter, Mayor elect Erin Stewart, speaks after being sworn in by him in November 2013. Stewart, has been placed on administrative leave

Former New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart has an emotional moment as his daughter, Mayor elect Erin Stewart, speaks after being sworn in by him in November 2013. Stewart, has been placed on administrative leave for making a misogynist Facebook post during the the State of the Union speech. (Rick Hartford/Hartford Courant/TNS)

Former New Britain Mayor Timothy Stewart has an emotional moment as his daughter, Mayor elect Erin Stewart, speaks after being sworn in by him in November 2013. Stewart, has been placed on administrative leave

A sexist vulgarity by the former mayor of New Britain is haunting the current Mayor Erin Stewart, who happens to be his daughter.

But it’s threatening the career of her father, Timothy Stewart, who tweeted the description “Bitches in heat!” under a Facebook photo of a dozen white-clad members of Congress in attendance at Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

The post resulted in Erin Stewart tweeting that she is “embarrassed and mortified,” by her father’s post.

Gennaro Bizzarro, chairman of the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce, said he immediately placed Timothy Stewart on administrative leave from his post as president of the 400-member organization.

Also

“His choice of words was inexcusable and has no place in modern civil discourse,” Bizzaro said in a statement. “Tim’s words obviously do not reflect the feelings held by the members of the Greater New Britain Chamber of Commerce, our staff or myself. As Chairman, I have a duty to confer with my fellow Board members as well as to review our bylaws to ascertain what disciplinary authority we possess and the process by which it can be employed.

“We are doing that immediately. I will be calling a special meeting of the Chamber board where we will make a decision about Tim’s future with the Chamber. In the meantime, I have placed Tim on administrative leave pending the Board’s action.”

Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport, said Timothy Stewart’s comment is also insulting to men.

“We are all someone’s son or daughter and we should be disgusted with this language,” Moore said. “Is this what we can expect as women rise in politics at both the federal and state level? It is disappointing considering a man who once represented a city that is at least half women. Shame on you. This kind of bigoted and sexist response is exactly what we’ve come to expect from some Republicans under Donald Trump who leads the pack.”

Lindsay Farrell, state director of the Working Families Party, called for Bizzarro to fire Timothy Stewart.

“Tim Stewart’s comments last night are beyond outrageous,” she said. “Chamber of Commerce Chairman Bizzarro has not gone far enough in placing Mr. Stewart on leave; he needs to call for his immediate termination. Anything less sends a signal to other men with derogatory, outdated views of women or anyone else, that this kind of behavior is tolerable and will go without real consequences.”